Method of recovering iron, steel, and the like from waste enameled articles.



A. DE BACK.

METHOD OF RECOVERJNG IRON, STEEL, AND THE'LIKE FROM WASTE ENAMELEDARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1910.

1 1 @Q Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

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sitar learner onion,

ALFRED DE BACK, OF ESSENON-THE-RUI-IR MENTS, TO GOLDSCHIVIIDT DETINNINGRATION OF NEW JERSEY.

, GERMANY, ASSIGNQR, BY ll/l'ESNE ASSIGN- COMPANY, OF NEVI' YORK, N. Y.,A CORPO- ll/IETI-IOD OF RECOVERING IRON, STEEL, AND THE LIKE FROM W'ASTEENAMELEZD ARTICLES.

Application filed November 12, 11910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED on BACK, a subject of the King of Hungary,and resident of Essenbii-the-ltuhr, in the German Empire, have inventeda new and useful Method of Recovering Iron, Steel, 620., from WasteEnameled Articles, of which the following is an exact specificatio Myinvention relates to a method of recovering iron, steel, etc, from wasteenameled articles, such as iron pots and vessels, by entirely removingthe enamel from the metal and separating it therefrom.

In the methods and machines heretofore used for recovering iron, steel,etc., from sheet metal waste articles, it has been necessary to keep theiron articles treated as free as possible from the enameled articlesbecause the addition of even a relatively small percentage of enamel tothe iron considerably reduces the value of the metal to be re covered,the decrease in value often amounting to two-thirds.

Attempts have been made to break off or crack the enamel mechanicallyfrom sheet metal articles, for the purpose of recovering the steel oriron, by stamping these articles in suitable machines. In the machinesheretofore used it has, however, been impossible to remove the enamelfrom the interior of such articles, and the product obtained has alwaysbeen a very inferior one.

I have found that it is possible to recover iron or steel free fromenamel from sheet metal articles, by treating the enameled wastearticles in such a manner that the enamel is first thoroughly crushed bycompression, after which the crushed enamel in the form of enamelparticles is readily separated from the metal.

I prefer to compress and flatten the enameled metal waste articlesmechanically by compressing them between crushing rollers, and thencutting them up into strip s be tween strong, rotary, steel disks, orcutters, after which, preferably the strips are opened, to accomplishwhich I force the strips against suitable opening devices or shaperswhich are usually arranged below the cutters. When the enameled wastematerial is subjected to such treatment as this, the enamel crushed bythe rollers falls away from the inner surfaces of the opened stripsSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug.

Serial No. 591,982.

29, Jlllilli.

as well as from the outer surfaces thereof or may be separated therefromby screening, or in any other suitable way.

This method of recovering iron, steel, etc, from waste enameled articlesis preferably carried out in a single machine in which the articles arefirst compressed and the enamel crushed or broken up, after which thearticles are cut by the machine into strips and these strips opened upsufficiently by the mechanism to permit the enamel to fall away from theinner surfaces of the layers of the opened strips, as well as from theouter surfaces thereof.

In the accompanying drawing a machine suitable for carrying out thisprocess is illustrated in Figure 1 in end elevation, and in Fig. 2 inplan, with parts of the crushing rollers broken away to illustrate theother mechanism.

In the machine illustrated the enameled articles to be treated are fedbetween crushing rollers, such as a and I), which are illtended to berotated in opposite directions. The articles are flattened between therollers and the enamel thereon or between adjoining surfaces isthoroughly crushed, after which the articles pass to suitable cutters,such for example, as cl and c, which are here shown as made up of twoseries, fixed on parallel rotary carriers or shafts, such as s and 8',these shafts being also intended to rotate in opposite directions toeach other. The cutters of one series are staggered with respect tothose of the other, the arrange ment being such that one disk or cuttercarried by each shaft will rotate between two disks or cutters carriedby the other shaft and will preferably project a considerable distanceinto the space between such cutters of the opposite series. By means ofsuch heavy disks as are shown at d and c, the enameled articlesrepresented at 1, are cut into strips 2, which strips are then forcedagainst suitable opening devices or shapers, such as shown at e, whichare disposed in such. positions and so mounted that each of the samescrapes against the adjacent layer 2 of a strip to offer greaterresistance to the movement of such layer than is offered to the movementof the layer or layers 2 of the strip adjacent the cutter. This resultsin a separating action of the layers 2 and 2 as the strips pass beyondthe opening devices e, as indicated in Fig. 1, so that the broken enamelconfined between the layers is freed andpermitted to fall away. Theopening devices or shapers shown herein are illustrated as mounted onpivots, 7, so that they can have an oscillating or vibratory movement,and near their working ends are heldagainst the rotary carriers, 8 ands, which are of relatively large diameter, the devices a being held intheir normal working positions by any suitable means, such as the heavycounterweights shown. These opening devices are shownherein ascomprising two sets, the devices of these sets being staggered also, asare the cutters, and being so associated with said cutters assubstantially to fill the spaces between the cutters of their own setsof cutters, each open ing device, however, being disposed opposite to,or in alinement with, a cutter of the opposite set.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim is:

l. The method of removing enamel from waste enameled articles, whichconsists in compressing the articles and crushing the enamel thereon andpositively opening the layers of said articles to permit removal of theenamel between the layers.

2. The method of removing enamel from waste enameled articles, whichconsists in compressing the articles and crushing the enamel thereon,cutting said articles into portions and opening the layers of the cutportions to permit removal of the enamel between the layers.

3. The method of removing enamel from waste enameled articles, whichconsists in compressing the articles and crushing the enamel thereon,cutting said articles into strips, and opening the strips to permitremoval of the enamel on the inside of the same.

4. The method of removing enamel from waste enameled articles, whichconsists in rolling said articles to flatten them and crush the enamelthereon, and positively re-opening the flattened articles to permitremoval of the inside enamel.

5. The method of removing enamel from waste enameled articles, whichconsists in rolling said articles to flatten them and crush the enamelthereon, cutting the flattened articles into strips, and opening thelayers of said strips to permit removal of the enamel between saidlayers.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED on BACK. [Ls] Witnesses CHAs. J. WRIGHT, VVALTER VoNNneU'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

